Business Challenge
Across Africa, national infrastructure modernization is advancing rapidly. A public-private energy operator managing strategic petroleum reserves and distribution pipelines sought a way to secure its expanding digital footprint spanning IT and OT domains. The organization required a single platform to deliver real-time visibility, access control, remote access, policy consistency, and Zero Trust readiness, all while ensuring uninterrupted 24/7 operations and compliance with national data governance.
Key Objectives
To modernize securely and sustainably, the operator defined clear goals:
- Establish Nationwide Network Visibility and Access Control across IT, OT, and industrial networks.
- Ensure Seamless Policy Enforcement and Operational Stability through an integrated Network Access Control (NAC) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) framework.
- Leverage Device Platform Intelligence (DPI) for automated device classification and trust decisions.
- Adopt an On-prem Enterprise Model to preserve data sovereignty and regulatory alignment.
Solution Overview
The operator deployed Genian ZTNA On-prem Enterprise Edition, built on the proven Genians NAC foundation and powered by Device Platform Intelligence (DPI). This unified architecture provides continuous visibility, adaptive policy control, and Zero Trust enforcement through one platform, one agent, and one console.
- Unified NAC and ZTNA Platform: Delivers consistent visibility and policy enforcement from core networks to remote depots.
- Device Platform Intelligence: Profiles and assesses every connected device — IT or OT — to enrich security policies with contextual trust data.
- Policy-Driven Access: Applies Zero Trust logic (who, what, where, how) before and during network sessions.
- Data Sovereignty: Ensures full control over operational data, regulatory compliance, and network performance through the on-prem enterprise architecture.
- Scalable Design: Supports future expansion across regional sites and third-party ecosystems.
Why It Matters
This deployment demonstrates how Africa’s critical energy infrastructure can embrace Zero Trust without abandoning existing investments. By integrating NAC, ZTNA, and Device Platform Intelligence within a single framework, the operator achieved measurable trust and policy uniformity across all operations.
- Unifies IT and OT security under one policy fabric.
- Reduces complexity while enhancing operational resilience.
- Sets a replicable model for national-scale digital sovereignty and trust.
Outcomes & Benefits
The project delivered immediate operational and strategic value through measurable governance and resilient connectivity.
- Comprehensive Visibility: Every device discovered and monitored through DPI insights.
- Unified Access Control: Centralized policy enforcement for on-prem and remote users.
- Operational Continuity: Zero downtime throughout rollout and steady-state operations.
- Regulatory Confidence: Data sovereignty and audit requirements fully satisfied.
- Zero Trust Foundation: Identity-centric segmentation and continuous verification ready to scale.
Future-State Vision
The operator continues to extend measurable trust throughout its national energy ecosystem.
- Integrate DPI-driven analytics with national SOC for proactive defense.
- Expand ZTNA coverage to contractor networks and mobile operations.
- Adopt the Genians Measurable Security Framework for continuous trust scoring and governance validation.
